NCT #127 Neo Zone: The Final Round - The 2nd Album Repackage

On Neo Zone, the Seoul boy band NCT 127 made space for a fresh wave of naturalized NCTzens with smooth R&B (“White Night,” “Not Alone,” “Dreams Come True”), cool pop (“Boom”), and aggressive stances (“Kick It,” “MAD DOG,” “Sit Down!”). The Final Round repackages their 2020 full-length album with four new songs: a sophisticated hip-hop/pop track (“NonStop”), a mood-soaked interstitial (“Prelude”), and a gorgeous piano ballad (“Make Your Day”)—then the seismic single “Punch” is a shock of coiled energy, providing a complimentary counterstrike to “Kick It.” NCT 127 members Johnny, Mark, and Jaehyun gave Apple Music their thoughts on “Punch.”
Mark: “‘Punch’ starts off with an intro verse that is made up of strong, compact lines. I feel like my tone in particular has a sharp point that pierces through and attentively delivers the lyrics to the listener. During the recording process, I tried my best to use that tone of mine for ‘Punch’ especially.” Jaehyun: “Whispering was the most interesting part while recording punch. I had to put in the energy but also whisper at the same time, and recording the chorus was fun. It felt more like chanting.” Johnny: “‘Punch’ is a song about punching away all of our previous problems and traumas, and trying to move forward. I feel like that is the kind of motivation we need right now.”